How to Upgrade PS5 Hard Drive With All Data Migration

While the PlayStation 5 has 1 TB of storage, you might still encounter storage problems because approximately 40% of that space is occupied by the operating system and firmware. This implies that you may not have as much room to download games as you want. Fortunately, the PS5 has included an empty SSD slot, making the hard drive upgrading much easier than PS3 and PS4.

No matter whether you want to upgrade PS5 hard drive for storage expansion or better hard drive performance, this stepwise guidance can help you quickly and easily reach the goal.

Before upgrading PS5 hard drive: Check the compatibility

Selecting the right SSD should be your first step if you want to do PS5 hard drive upgrade.  Many SSDs won't be suitable because they need to have an extremely fast read speed, which is necessary for native PS5 games, but most drives can't match this speed.

Sony provides a list of requirements on its website, and it's crucial to ensure that your chosen SSD meets these specifications, as using an incompatible drive may potentially harm your PS5.

Step-by-step guidance on how to upgrade PS5 hard drive

To replace PS5 hard drive, you'll need a flat surface, a #1 Phillips or cross-head screwdriver, and it's a good idea to have a small flashlight or your phone's torch for better visibility while working.

Part 1. Install the new hard drive

Step 1. Place your PS5 upside down on a flat surface, with the PlayStation logo facing downwards. Ensure all cables are disconnected.

Step 2. Slide off the bottom cover plate by gently pulling it from the top corners. Don't worry if you hear a click.

Step 3. Remove the screw and the expansion slot cover.

Step 4. Take out the screw underneath and adjust the spacer to fit your M.2 SSD size.

Step 5. Align your M.2 SSD with the connector, then insert it firmly from diagonally upward.

Step 6. Secure the M.2 SSD in place with the screw from inside the PS5.

Step 7. Reattach the expansion slot cover and screw, and slide the PS5 bottom cover plate back in until it clicks.

Step 8. Reconnect the power cord and HDMI cable, then turn on your PS5. Follow the onscreen instructions to format your M.2 SSD by pressing the X button.

Step 9. Once formatted, check your SSD read speed. If it's over 5,500 MB/s, you're all set.

Part 2. Move all the original data to the new hard drive

When the new hard drive has been installed successfully, it is time to transfer all the original data to it. To avoid any data loss and time-consuming process, it is recommended to use a professional tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This tool can share facial solutions to complex problems, such as partition management, formatting drives, freeing up space, cloning disks, etc.

To move data easily, you can use its Disk Clone feature, which allows you to clone data like OS, programs, and files, quickly and safely.

Step 1. Connect both the old and the new hard drives to a computer. Then launch the installed AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.

Step 2. From the top pane, click “Clone” > "Clone Disk".

Step 3. Choose a clone method. Here, I recommend “Clone Disk Quickly” which is quicker than the other one.

Step 4. In the new window, select the PS5 hard drive as the source disk and hit “Next”.

Step 5. Select the new hard drive as the destination disk. Tick off “Optimize the performance of SSD” if the destination disk is an SSD.

Step 6. Select "Clone without resizing partitions" click on “Next” and return to the main interface.

Step 7. Hit “Apply” on the upper left and hit “Proceed” to start the disk clone process.

In a few seconds, all the data will be transferred to your best hard drive for PS5 for gaming. 

Conclusion

To upgrade PS5 hard drive, you can follow this step-by-step guidance to effectively achieve the goal. With AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can also fix many computer issues on your own without seeking help from others. If you are Windows Server users, you can download the Server Edition.